pump breast milk

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I’ve been seeing a ton of pumping tips floating around on Pinterest lately — which is great!

I love helping moms learn to pump more milk for their babies, and I love that Pinterest is a great place for moms to go to get information and advice.

BUT …there are a few popular pumping myths out there that need to be debunked.

If you’re pumping breast milk for your baby, let me know if you buy into these myths!

Pumping Myth #1: Refrigerate your pump parts between uses.

I’m not sure where this idea originated, but one popular pumping myth is that you don’t need to wash your pump parts in between pumping sessions. You can just rinse and toss them in a ziplock bag and place them in the fridge until the next time you pump.

It sounds like a good idea at first…I mean, fewer pump parts to wash?! But when you do a little digging, you won’t find any leading health organizations or peer-reviewed studies advocating for this time-saving pumping hack.

I mean, it might be okay to do once in a while if you’re in a pinch… BUT I would never do this if my baby was premature, sick, or if we were battling thrush.

Overall, the verdict is: wash your pump parts between uses. I know it’s a lot of work, so if you exclusively pump, I definitely recommend getting some spare pump parts and bottles so that you aren’t spending hours of your day at the sink.

Pumping Myth #2: Dream feed your baby morning milk

I saw an article recently where a mom said that her pediatrician told her to write down the time of day she pumped milk, and then dream feed her baby breast milk at night that had been pumped in the morning because it was higher in protein and would help the baby sleep longer.

First let me say, no disrespect to the mom who suggested this…but this is only partially true.

Concentrations of this sleepytime magic are highest between 8 pm and 8 am. (You can read the researchhere.)

So yes, definitely write on the storage bag the time you pumped the milk… But milk pumped at night should be fed to the baby at night to help him sleep better.

Researcher Cristina Sanchez said, “You wouldn’t give anyone a coffee at night, and the same is true of [breast] milk – it has day-specific ingredients that stimulate activity in the infant, and other night-time components that help the baby to rest. It is a mistake for the mother to express the milk at a certain time and then store it and feed it to the baby at a different time.”

Pumping Myth #3: Pumping is painful

Pumping breast milk for your baby shouldn’t be painful. If you’re experiencing pain while pumping, it could be several things.

Here are a few tips on how to make pumping less painful.

Be sure you have the right size flanges. You may need to size up or down!

You can also check out these Pumpin’ Pals flanges that are more comfortable to use.

Be sure to use a non-toxic nipple balm after you pump to prevent sore nipples.

Don’t crank up the suction power to the max. It’s okay to start off with softer suction and then gradually increase.

If all else fails, you may need a different pump. I’ve tried many pumps and the Medela brand is my favorite. The Ameda was very painful for me.

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About Me

Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marianna - a homeschool mom by day and a mental health counselor by night. I'm passionate about supporting and encouraging other moms. Click the first circle below to learn more!